Multiple Egg Freezing Cycle Program

The most affordable egg freezing program in New York City

The Multiple Egg Freezing Cycle Program (MEFCP) is the most affordable egg freezing program in New York City, offered by CHR’s Fertility Preservation Center. This multiple egg freezing cycle program is designed specifically for women who are considering egg freezing to preserve their fertility because they are not in a position to conceive as of this moment.

This program, therefore, differs from CHR’s egg freezing program for young women who must freeze eggs immediately because medical problems or their treatments threaten immediate loss of ovarian function. This distinction is important because in the latter case egg freezing is no longer considered “experimental.” When freezing eggs in absence of such a medical emergency situation, egg freezing is, however, still considered an “experimental” procedure by CHR and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

CHR is stressing this point because egg freezing is frequently incorrectly presented in social and lay media and, unfortunately, also by some centers that offer egg freezing services, as more of a “social event” to be promoted in “egg-freezing parties,” than a serious medical procedure. The freezing of eggs, in reality, however, should be viewed as a serious medical procedure, and not only because, like any medical procedures, it is associated with risks and can lead to complications; but also, because a woman potential ability to become a mother with use of her own genetic inheritance may be at risk.

Who freezes your eggs, therefore, matters; but who thaws out your eggs later when you need them, may matter even more!

Why multiple egg freezing cycles are usually necessary

One reason why egg freezing is still considered “experimental,” is that nobody can yet accurately predict how many eggs a woman must freeze to achieve a predictable likelihood of at least one pregnancy in the future. Likely the most important reason (among many) why this number is so difficult to determine is that it is not constant through all ages and also varies between patients. As chances of pregnancy for each egg and embryos decline with advancing female age, older women must freeze more eggs than younger women. The issue is further complicated by women of same ages not always producing similar eggs numbers. Especially women with low functional ovarian reserve (LFOR) will produce fewer eggs, and often also eggs of poorer quality. Therefore, even within individual age groups not everybody will need the same number of eggs to be cryopreserved.

How many eggs to freeze

Table 1 below offers the CHR’s estimates for number of eggs that should be frozen at different ages for one desired child. For two desired children those numbers should be doubled, for three tripled, etc. The table also presents estimates for how many ovarian stimulations it, likely, will take at various ages to reach this minimum egg numbers per child.

Table 1: Estimated number of eggs and retrieval cycles necessary for 1 child at different ages

Age

21-25

26-32

33-38

39-42

Estimated minimum number of eggs for a single child*

10

15

20

25-30

Estimated number of egg freezing cycles required to reach the above-quoted number**

1

2

3-4

4-6

*Approximately double the number for 2 children, triple it for 3, etc.

**These numbers are based on declining egg numbers with advancing age, and further assume that women have normal OR for age. Women with abnormally low OR for age (POA), should at minimum advance themselves by one age-category.

Egg freezing costs and conditions

As described in the table below, CHR’s egg freezing program is one of the most affordable egg freezing programs in New York City.